Russia barred from World C'ships

Feb 08, 2017, 07:26 IST
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PA Sport

Russia will be barred from the World Championships in London in August after failing to convince the International Association of Athletics Federations that it is ready to return following allegations of state-sponsored doping

Rune Andersen

Russia will be barred from the World Championships in London in August after failing to convince the International Association of Athletics Federations that it is ready to return following allegations of state-sponsored doping.

The IAAF voted unanimously to extend the current ban on the Russian Athletics Federation from senior international competition, although Russians can still apply to compete as individual athletes.

Chairman of the IAAF Taskforce, Rune Andersen, said it was "not recommended" for the ban to be lifted before the Russian anti-doping agency, RUSADA, is fully code-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Agency, which will not happen until November.

Andersen said: "The road map that I outlined... clearly states there will be no reinstatement until RUSADA is functioning... and presumably if everything goes to plan there will be a full reinstatement by November 2017. This meant Russia as a nation is not recommended by us to be reinstated before that time."